LOUISVILLE, Ky. — After two weeks of non-traditional instruction spurred by COVID-19, Jefferson County Public Schools on Sunday announced that all students will resume in-person learning starting Monday, Jan. 24.

Buses will resume their regular routes in the morning and afternoon, JCPS officials said in a letter to parents. Food service will resume in cafeterias, and in-school COVID-19 testing will resume for students who have signed up for it.

District officials said illness and absences among its school staff have dropped considerably, which played a large part in the decision to bring students back to the schools.

"We believe there are now enough staff members, substitute teachers, bus drivers and other staff available to safely reopen our school buildings," officials said.

The school district has used eight of its 10 alloted non-traditional instruction (NTI) days so far, which are different from remote learning days the district could use if future COVID-19 outbreaks cause issues.

JCPS can still use the 10 remote learning days approved for all Kentucky school districts by the Kentucky legislature. They can’t be used to move an entire school district to virtual learning (like NTI) but can be used to move entire schools or grade levels to virtual learning. 

"We appreciate the effort put forth by everyone in the JCPS family to continue learning while doing our best to keep everyone healthy and safe during these uncertain times," officials said. 

JCPS said the decision to resume in-person learning wasn't reached lightly.

"We know this is a difficult issue for many families but we feel it is important to get students back to in-person instruction with their teachers and classmates," JCPS officials said in a letter to parents. "We will continue to monitor the numbers daily to ensure that we can continue in-person instruction."

District officials said they'll provide regular communication in the event on any updates or changes to their instruction plan.